Research

UCF Hires Assistant VP for Research to Build Funding Base

A leader in developing game-changing capabilities for large commercial and government organizations has been named as an assistant vice president for research and commercialization at the University of Central Florida.

Michael Macedonia, the former director of the Disruptive Technology Office for the Director on National Intelligence, will focus on building the university’s base of federal and industry funded research.

The role is important to UCF’s rapid transformation into a major engine of innovation for Florida and the nation, said MJ Soileau, vice president for research & commercialization at UCF.

“Universities, as institutions of learning, develop and host creative people who advance new ideas and research for a better world. At UCF, we have a powerful combination of people and ideas. Mike is going to help us expose our talents to the community and to potential partners so that we can go to the next level as a national research university,” Soileau said.

In 2010 UCF was ranked as a research intensive university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, largely because of its strength in working with industry and commercializing technology. UCF was also ranked number three in “patent power” by a leading engineering industry group.

Macedonia has been involved with the university since 1998 when he was the technical director for the U.S. Army’s Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation Command where he helped form the early partnerships with UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training.

He is excited about uncovering new avenues for the university to leverage its world-renowned expertise in areas such as photonics, energy, computer vision, modeling & simulation and, now, medicine, and also about the opportunity to share UCF’s message of partnership on a national level.

“My experience in working in industry, academia, and government enables me to connect with a wide spectrum of audiences and help them understand the potential of the world-class research offered by UCF. UCF researchers are creating a future that is safer, healthier, and more secure. I am proud to be on their team.” Macedonia said.

Macedonia has a Ph.D. in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School, a master’s degree in modeling, simulation & training – telecommunications from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.